Washington, DC,10/25/12 - The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte today released the 2012 Public Perception of Manufacturing Report. This is the fourth report in an annual series that measures the American public perception of the manufacturing industry, its role in the economy, and the careers offered by the industry. The key findings from the report include:

Americans value a strong manufacturing sector;

Americans want stronger policies to support manufacturing;

Americans believe the U.S. manufacturing industry has the ability to compete globally but are looking for better leadership from both policymakers and business leaders to support U.S. competitiveness;

Americans view the manufacturing sector as fragile and unstable;

Americans want manufacturing jobs…for someone else;

Americans lack confidence in their school system’s ability to provide the necessary skills and career guidance required to pursue a job in manufacturing;

They have strong perspectives on what needs to change to bolster manufacturing competitiveness.